Amusement device



.Iuhe 11, 1940; E. 1.. BARRETT 2,204,397

' Auusfinmm DEVICE Filed July 21, 19:59 I 2 Sheets-Sheet}.

June 11 1940. V E. L. BARRETT Auussusu'r DEVICE Filed July 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 11,1940 I UNITED STATES v AMUSEMENT DEVICE Edward L. Barrett, 'L a Grange/111., assign'or to Barrett Engineering Company, Chicago, III., a. corporation of Illinois I v q I I i v Applications t lly 21, 1939, Serial mi e 18 Claims.

The invention relates to amusement devices and has particularly to dowith a novel simulated-racing game.

Generally stated, it is an object of the invention to provide a. novel game of thev typeindi cated embodying a game piece or racing figure movable automatically with a step-by-step motion in response to actuation by the playerof' optionally engageable means which can be pre- 'set so that only a selectable portion is efiective to achieve the successive steps of game piece motion. The elementof chance involved in fobtaining the desired motion of the game 'piece serves to stimulate a high degree of interest and hilarity among the players.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide such a game having one for all of the following attributes: (a) simplicity of construction with consequent low cost of production,

(1)) ruggedness of construction and consequent ability to withstand juvenile use andabuse, (c) simplicity of manipulation required by the play,- ers in using the game, (d) positive insurance against cheating by a player, (e) productionof a permanent and indisputable record of each players score, (I) manual resettabilityfot the chance-selection device so that one player can,

in effect, pit his skillagainst that of another in resetting the chance-selection .mechanism which his opp'onent must operate. a

Further objects and advantages of the inven-: tion will become apparent as thefollowingdscription proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which I I Figure 1 is a general perspective view of agame embodying the invention. q 7 Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the game of Fig. 1.1 Fig. 3. is a longitudinal sectional view .of the game of Fig. 1 with the movable racing. figure shown in various positions. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view along the line 44 in Fig. ;3. I

Figs, 5 and 6 are enlarged transverse section-' al views along the lines 5-5 and 66', respec tively, in Fig. 3. v

Figs. '7 and 7 are fragmentary longitudinal sectional views along the line 11 in Fig.- 6,-

showing respectively What are termed a miss and hit during operation of the game.

Fig. 8 is anexploded perspective view of the.

device of Fig. 1.

The invention has been shown herein as embodied in a game which simulates a horse race. The game device shown is small and portablegin character so that it can be easily carried about in the spirit and scope of the invention.

. tionary.

(01:273-86) and, infact, .held in the hand while" in use.- It will "be apparent, however, that games embodying the ,invention may take a wide variety ';of forms. Accordingly, even though one particular embodiment of ;the invention has been shown and described in some detaiLthere is no intention to thereby limit the invention to such em bodiment, but/on the other hand, the append-I ed claims areintended to cover all modifications andalternative constructionsfalling with- In itsillustrative formthe game embodies a.

'fgame. pieceor racing figure shown as a miniature horse and .jocke'y l0 (Fig-1) cast from lead and suitably decorated. In-brief, the arrangement is such thatthe figure l0 movesfrom stationto station along a base I! with a step-bystep motion. Along the path of the figurelll are arranged a series of sets of holes I2, here shown as two in number for each set, withfone set corresponding to each successiveposition of the figure. To advance the racing figure ID the player inserts a. punch l4 (see Fig. 3) into one or the other of the holes. H! in the pair just to the'rear of a carriage l5 (Fig. 1) on which the figure is mounted A presettable mechanism,

'- hereinafter described, located beneath the holes l2, prevents passage offthe punch l4 through a desired one of the holes in: each pair. If the player by chance selects the unobstructed hole the punch l4 enters it, or. in other words he makes a'fhit, and the mechanism is so arranged that as a consequence the figure l0 automatically advances one step. If, on the other vhand, the player selects an obstructed hole he 7 makes a miss andthe figure lll'remains sta- Consequently, the player Ymust take a second turn and insert the punch intov the other hole in the, pair in order to advance the racing figure Ill. The objectof the game is, of course, to advance the figure I0 throughout its path of travel'with a minimum number of punching operations by the player.

I In competitive playing twov or more of the games shown may be utilized, one for each play er. At'a given; signal the players insert the: punches. 14 into a selected one of the holes in the pair to the rear ofthe carriage 15. The figures In either advance or remain stationary, dependingupon whether the players make'a hit ora. missi The relative rate of progressof the horses or] racing figures [0 along the. trackway is thus determinedby the luck of the players each time theyinsert the punch into one of the holes a l To minimize cost of large scale production the base II is preferably fashioned as a sheet metal stamping (Figs. 3, 5 and 8). This base is hollow, being of an inverted trough shape and its open lower side is closed by a press-fitted sheet metal bottom plate I6 fixed in position by lugs I6 (Fig, 1). An elongated rectangular opening I! in the top wall of the base I I receives a trackway or guide upon which the figure-supporting carriage I5 is slidably mounted.

The trackway carrying the carriage I5 is shown (Figs. 1 to 4) in the form of a sheet metal plate I8 of channel shaped cross-section (Fig. 5) presenting upstanding side walls constituting rails on which the carriage I5 slides. The space between the rails is closed by a two-section sheet metal cover with one section fixedand the other removable. The fixed cover section embodies a sheet metal plate I9 having its top'fiushwith the top surface of the base II and fixed in position by end tongues I9 engaged with the channel I8 (Fig. 3). The removable section of the cover is made up of two nested sheet metal channels 20 and 29 (Fig. 8) having registering holes I2 and I2 in them. Between these nested channels is inserted a removable strip of paper 2| for a purpose which will appear below. To hold thenested channels in place a pair of tongues 22 are formed on the left end of the channel 2!] and arranged to enter registering holes in the closed end of the other channel 2i] and in the end wall ofthe fixed cover plate I9.

At the right hand end of the channel 2E3 (as viewed in Fig. 8) depending integral ears 20 are formed to enter registering slots in the bottom of the fixed trackway channel I8 to locate the nested channels 20, ZIZI in place. These ears also form convenient finger grips for pulling the inner channel 2!] out of the channel 20 when the two have been removed from the base II.

The carriage I5, like most of the other parts of the game, is fashioned as a sheet metal stamping. It is generally channel shaped in form (see Fig. 8) and the lower edges of the side walls are bent around to give it a tubular cross section so dimensioned as to be telescoped about the trackway channel I8 on which it slides (see also Fig. 5). When the carriage I5 is slid along the trackway to a position in which it embraces the nested cover channels 2|], 2|) (shown in full lines in Fig. 3, for example) it looks them in position so that they cannot be lifted out of the trackway channel I8. When, however, the carriage I5 is located at the left hand end of the trackway it overlies only the fixed section I!) of the cover and is completely clear of the nested channels 20, 2!] so that the latter can be removed for renewal of the paper strip 2| and other purposes set forth below. The figure II) is removably secured to the carriage I5 by a sheet metal tongue I0 (Figs. 1 and 3) inserted through loops struck up from the top of the carriage.

- To impart movement to the carriage I5 along the trackway I8 a long helical tension spring 23 is utilized (Fig. 2). This spring is anchored at one end to a tongue 24 struck out from the base II and is led about a pulley 25 journaled in the opposite end of the base on a pin 26 (Fig. 5). The other end of the tension spring is secured to a latch plate 27 (Fig. 3) mounted on the carriage I5. The spring 23 serves the dual function of biasing this latch member into engaged position and also urging the figure-supporting carriage I5 toward the left hand end of its path (Fig. 3).

of travel (as viewed in Fig. 3). A long spring of substantially twice the length of the base II is utilized so as to minimize the changes in spring tension in different positions of carriage along its path of movement.

To arrest the motion of the carriage I5 after each step of its forward motion under the bias of the spring 23, a series of fixed abutments are provided. These abutments have been shown (Figs. 5 and 7) as ears 28 struck down from the bottom of the sheet metal trackway channel I8, and which is fixed to the base II by screws 35 Also formed in this channel I8 are apertures 29 at the rear of each of the abutments 28 and underlying the registering holes I2 and I2 in the nested cover channels 21) and 20 respectively. The alined holes I2, I2 and 29 give access to the latch plate 21 so that when the punch I4 is inserted through them the player can depress the latch and release it from the adjacent abutment so that the carriage can slide forward one step. At the end of this step the latch, of course, engages the next successive abutment. It will be noted that the latch plate 21 has portions underlying both of the holes 29 in each pair of such holes and these two portions of the latch plate constitute in effect separate means alternatively engageable by the player through the corresponding holes 29 to release the latch.

The latch mechanism comprises the sheet metal latch plate 21 heretofore noted (Fig. 8) of rectangular form having a depending ear 2% on it and to which the spring 23 is anchored. The latch plate is pivoted on a pin 3I between depending and rearwardly extending integral legs 32 fashioned on the side walls of the carriage l5. With the parts so arranged the spring 23 yieldably urges the nose of the latch plate 21 upward into position for engagement with the abutments 28 and also tends to pull the carriage I5 along the trackway. Accordingly, when the punch I4 is inserted through the registering holes I2, I2 and 29 into contact with the latch plate 21 it depresses the latch plate so as to free it from the abutment which it is engaging. As soon, however, as the carriage I5 moves forward a short distance the latch plate 21 clears the end of the punch I4 so that the spring 23 snaps the latch back up against the bottomof the trackway channel I8 and the nose of the latch engages the next succeeding abutment 28, thereby arresting the motion of the racing figure I0 after a corresponding step of advance.

What may be termed the presettable chanceselection mechanism in the game embodies a series of members for selectively blocking contact of the punch I4 with the latch 2'? when the punch is inserted through a selected one of the holes I2 in each pair or set of such holes. As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, this mechanism comprises a series of rectangular sheet metal blocking leaves 33 pivoted on a longitudinally extending pin or rod 34, which is fixed to the trackway channel I8. The blocking leaves 33 embody simply strips of sheet metal doubled upon themselves about the pin 34. When the nested cover channels 20, '20 are removed so that the trackway channel I8 is exposed, the blocking leaves 33 can be swung to cover either one or the other of the holes 29 with which they are associated. The mechanism can be preset so that the successive holes covered by the blocking leaves 33 are staggered or otherwise arranged in an ex- Fill . are replaced in the device.

' ing leaves 33.

tremely large variety of patterns. It should-be noted that when once the cover channelsilL-fll are replaced they overlie the blocking leaves 33 so closely that the latter cannot be swung over to an opposite position by shaking or tilting. the device or otherwise. Only when the cover is removed can the position of these leaves be changed.

To hide from view the setting of the blocking leaves 33 the renewable paper strip 2| is inserted between the nested cover channels 20, 20

, With this paper strip in place the player is compelled to guess as to which hole l2 in each pair is blocked by' and underlying one of the leaves 33. Upon the accuracy of his guesses depends, of course, the total number of punching operations required to advance the game piece In from one end of the trackway to the other. The paper strip 2| also serves the purpose of forming a permanent and indisputable record of the players score. This, for the reason that each time the punch I4 is inserted into one of the holes 12 the paper strip 2| is pierced. Whenever the player makes a hit on his first try at any station there will be only one hole punched in the paper for that station. But if hemakes a miss he will have to punch again in the other hole of the pair thus leaving two holes in the paper at that station.

After completing the playing of one game, that is, after moving the figure H] to its final or extreme left hand position on the trackway, the device may be conditioned for playing the next game. For this purpose the nose'of the punch i4 is inserted in a notch 35 (Fig. l) atthe right hand end of the cover channels 20,20 and the latter are pried up out of the trackway channel 18. The two nested channels 20, 20* are then separated and a new strip of paper 2| put in place between them. Also, the blocking leaves 33 are reset in any desired pattern to make the playing of the next game as diflicult as possible for the opponent. In resetting the leaves 33 they'can-be readily flipped over to close one or the other of the holes 29, located adjacent each of them. To simplify the resetting of these blocking leaves 33 they may be made of magnetizable material such as sheet steel and the punch is permanently magnetized. In such case the punch Hi can be readily used as a lifting magnet for shifting the leaves 23, thus avoiding the possibilityof a player breaking his finger nails by trying to pry up the leaves 33 in moving them.

After the blocking leaves 33 have been preset as desired and a new strip of paper 2| inserted between the channels 20, 2i] the nested channels For this latter purpose the tongues 22 on the lower channel 2|) are inserted in the holes in the fixed cover I!) which receive them (Fig. 3) and then the channels are swung down into place within the trackway channel J8. In this latter position the cover channels 20, 20 with the paper strip 2| sandwiched between them, eifectually hide the block- Finally the user grasps the figure l0 and pushes it up the trackway to its extreme right hand position in which it is held by engagement of the latch plate 27 with the end one of the abutment tongues 28 (Fig. 3). It

should be noted that once the cover channels 29, 20 have been replaced and the figure l0 shifted so that the carriage I5 overlies these cover channels the latter cannot be removed to View or reset the blockade leaves 33 without returning the figure I0 to its finalor left hand he should thrust the punch 3 position. This latter operation, however, entails piercing the strip of paper 2| with the punch l4, thereby giving a definite indication that the game has been operated. Also to be noted is the fact that since the carriage l5 locks the cover channels 20, 20? againstremoval it also ..pre-

vents resetting of the leaves 33 since their position can onlybe changed, as heretofore noted, when the cover is removed.

Having set up the game for playing, as described above, the player proceeds to utilize the punch M to move the figure l0 progressively or step bystep along the trackway to its final position. In doing so the player must, at each successive station in the advance for the figure l0, determine whichof the holes l2 in the next pair l4 into. If he chooses a hole in the pair which is not obstructed by an underlying leaf 33 th'epunch M can be thrust on down through the registering hole 29 in the trackway channel H3 untilit contacts the latch plate 21 and disengages it from the corresponding abutment tongue 28 1 (F g. 7 This may be termed a hit. Upon making such a hit the unlatched carriage l5 is automatically drawn forward by the spring 23 until the latch plate 21 engages the next succeeding abutment 28 at the next station and at which point forward motion of the carriage is again arrested. In the equally probable event, however, that the player thrusts the punch I4 into one of the holes |2 beneathwhich a blocking leaf 33 is located the further entry of the punch is blocked by the leaf 33 (Fig. 7) or, in other words, the player misses and, of course, the figure |l| remains at rest. Consequently, it is necessary for the player to take another turn to advance the figure ID to its next station by thrusting the punch "into the other of the pair of holes presented for choice. This process is repeated at each successive step of advance of the figure l|l until the latter finally reaches its final or extreme left hand position.

Upon completing such a playing of the, game the paper strip 2| can be removed asdescribed above and retained by the'player as a permanent record of his score. In this connection it will be noted that the punch I4 always pierces the paper strip in the event of'either a hit or a miss so that a hole appears in it for every punching operation performed by the player.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a simulated racing'game the cofnbina- 'tion of a movable racing figure, means including a trackway supporting said figure for movement along a predetermined path with a step-by-step motion, means continuously biasing said figure for motion along said path in one direction, re-

leasable latch means for arresting the motion of the figure along, said path after each of a series of steps of its advance along'the same, said latch means presenting after each step a plurality of portions optionally engageable by the player to release the same, presettable means at each step for preventing engagement by the tion along said trackway, a spring biased latch carried by said figure and engageable with successive abutments to arrest the motion of the figure after corresponding steps of advance, a plate overlying the path of movement of the latch and having a plurality of apertures th'erein arranged with a set of at least two such apertures registering with the latch when it is engaged with each successive detent, said latch being arranged for engagement by the player through each aperture to release the latch when the latter is in registry with the aperture, presettable means heneath said plate for blocking at least one aperture in each of said sets, and a renewable strip of paper beneath said apertured plate and overlying said last named means tohide the latter.

3. An amusement device of the type described comprising, in combination, an elongated sheet metal plate of channel shaped cross section presenting upwardly extending side walls constituting parallel rails, a sheet metal carriage adapted to carry a game piece and of inverted channel shape telescoped over said plate for sliding movement along said rails, projecting tongues struck out from said plate and forming abutments at spaced points along it, a releasable latch on said carriage engageable with successive ones of said abutments, means for releasing said latch, and selectable means for preventing a release of the latch by said releasing means.

4. An amusement device of the type described comprising, in combination, an elongated sheet metal plate having projecting tongues struck out from it and forming abutments at spaced points along it, means for supporting a game piece for movement along said plate, a releasable latch carried by said last named means engageable with successive ones of said abutments, means for releasing said latch, and selectable means for preventing release of said latch by said releasing means.

5. In .an amusement device of the type described the combination of a portable and hollow sheet metal structure presenting a top' surface having a series of sets of holes in it, a game piece, means supporting said game piece for step-bystep movement along the top of said structure in steps corresponding to the successive sets of holes, an actuating means hidden within said structure for moving said game piece with such step-bystep motion: in response to the insertion of a punching tool through one of said holes and into operative relation with said actuating means, and selectively settable means also hidden within said structure for preventing the insertion of such a punching tool through at least one selected hole in each set into operative relation with said actuating means.

6. In an amusement device of the type described the combination of a portable and hollow sheet metal structure presenting a top surface having a series of holes in it, a game piece, means supporting said piece for step-by-step movement along the top of said structure in steps corresponding to the successive holes, and an actuating means hidden within said structure for moving said game piece with such a step-by-step motion in response to the insertion of a punching tool through one of said holes and into operative relation with said actuating means.

'7. An amusement device of the type described comprising, in combination, a trackway fashioned in the form of a sheet metal plate of channel shaped cross section presenting upstanding side walls constituting a pair of parallel rails, a sheet metal carriage of inverted channel shaped configuration telescoped over said plate and slidable along said rails, means engageable by a player at successive points in an advance of the carriage toward its final position for causing it to move to a succeeding position along the trackway, optionally settable means for preventing engagement of said last named means, a cover for said settable means including a pair of nested sheet metal channels having registering holes therein through which said engageable means may be engaged by a player and adapted to receive a removable strip of paper between them to close said holes, said nested channels being removably positioned between said trackway rails and being of sufiiciently lesser length than said trackway that said carriage can be moved to a position in the trackway in which it clears the nested channels for the removal of the latter, said carriage having projections thereon underlying said trackway channel to hold the carriage in position thereon and thereby prevent removal of said nested cover channels when said carriage is in a position to overlie the latter.

8. An amusement device of the type described comprising, in combination, a trackway embodying a pair of spaced parallel rails, a carriage slidable along said rails to a final position thereon, means engageable by a player at successive points in an advance of the carriage toward its final position for causing it to move to a succeeding position along the trackway, optionally settable means for preventing effective actuation of said last named means, a movable cover for said settable means, and means cooperating with said carriage for locking said cover against removal except when said carriage is in its final position.

9. An amusement device of the type described comprising, in combination, a trackway embodying a pair of spaced parallel rails, a carriage slidable along said rails, means engageable by a player at successive points in the advance of the carriage for causing it to move to a succeeding point along the trackway, optionally settable means arranged between said rails at spaced points along the trackway for preventing engagement of said last named means, and an apertured removable sheet metal cover plate positioned between the rails and overlying said settable means, and a removable strip of paper underlying the apertures in said cover plate to hide said settable means from view until the paper is pierced.

10. An amusement device of the type described comprising, in combination, a trackway, a carriage slidable along said trackway, means engageable by a player at successive points in the advance of the carriage for causing it to move to a succeeding point along the trackway, optionally settable means arranged along said trackway for preventing engagement of said last named means, and a removable cover plate overlying said settable means.

11. In an amusement device the combination of a movable game piece, means supporting said game piece for movement to a succession of stations, means optionally engageable by the player to cause the game piece to advance from one station to a succeeding station, and presettable means for preventing effectual actuation by the player of a portion of said last named means.

12. In an amusement device the combination of a movable game piece, means supporting said game piece for movement to a succession of stations, a plurality of means optionally engageable by the player to cause the game piece to advance locking said presettable means against resetting except when said game piece is located at the final station in its path of travel.

13. An amusement device of the type described comprising, in combination, a trackway fashioned in the form of a sheet metal plate of channel shaped cross section presenting upstanding.

side walls constituting a pair of parallel rails, a sheet metal carriage of inverted channel shaped configuration telescoped over said trackway channel and slidable along said rails, a spring yieldably urging said carriage for movement in one direction along said rails, a series of tongues struck out from the bottom of said trackway channel to form abutments at spaced points along it, a releasable latch.v on said carriage engageable with successive abutments to arrest the carriage at corresponding points along the trackway, a pair of nested sheet metal cover channels removably positioned between said rails, said channels having apertures therein through which said latch may be engaged by a player to release the same, selectively settable means located in said trackway channel beneath certain cover channels for preventing entry through selected ones of said holesto said latch, and aremovable strip of paper between said nested cover channels hiding from view said settable means.

14. An amusement device of the type described comprising, in combination, an elongated guide, a carriage slidable along said guide, a series of fixed abutments arranged at spaced points along said guide, a releasable latch on said carriage engageable with successive ones of said abutments, and means including a single tension springfor not only yieldably urging said latch into abutment engaging position but for also biasing said carriage for movement in one direction along said guide. l

15. An amusement device of the type described comprising, in combination, a portable hollow sheet metal base of elongated form, a guide extending longitudinally along the top of said base, a carriage slidable along said guide, a plurality of spaced abutments arranged within said hollow base at spaced points along said guide, a latch on said carriage engageable with said abutments,

a pulley mounted within said hollow base adjacent one end thereof, and means for not only yieldably urging said latch into abutment engaging position but for also biasing said carriage for movement toward said one end of said base, said last named means including an elongated helical tension spring having one end' anchored to the base adjacent the end thereof opposite said pulley and with the remainder of the spring doubled upon itself about the pulley and arranged with the other spring end attached to said latch.

16. In a device of the character described the combination of a metal plate presenting an elongated horizontal portion having a series of pairs I said plate for, engagement with successive abut- 1 ments and arranged to be contacted through either hole in a pair to disengage the same from the adjacent abutment, a shaft extending longi- 1 tudinally of said plate along the center line of the pairs of holes, and a plurality of blocking leaves pivoted onsaid shaft and adapted tobe swung to close one or the other of the holes in each of said pairs, each of said blocking leaves being fashioned on a strip of sheet metaldoubled upon itself about said shaft.

17. In a device of the character described the combination of a metal plate presenting an elongated horizontal portion having a series of'pair of holes therein arranged at spaced points along it with the holes in each pair transversely alined across'the plate, a carriage, guiding means above said plate supporting said carriage for movement in a path along said plate, means biasing said carriage for movement in one direction along said guide means, a series of fixed abutmentsbeneath said plate arranged withone ofsaid abutments located adjacent each pair of holes in said plate, a latch on said carriageand located beneath said plate for engagement with successive abutments and arranged to be contacted through either hole in a pair to disengage the same from the adjacent abutment, a shaft extending, longitudinally of said plate along the 'center line of the pairs of holes, a plurality of blocking leaves pivoted on said shaft and adapted to be swung to close one or the other ofthe holes in each of said pairs,'each of said blocking leaves being fashioned of magnetizable metal, and a permanent magnet for lifting said leaves to shift their positions.

18. In a device of the character described the combination of a metal plate presenting an elongated horizontal portion having a series of sets of holes therein arranged at spaced points along it with the holes in each set transversely alined across the plate, a carriage, guide means above said plate supporting said carriage for movement in-a path along said plate, means biasing said carriage for movement in one direction along said guide means, a series of fixed abutments beneath said plate arranged with an abutment located ad- 

